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What is .htaccess?

Using .htaccess files lets you control the behavior of your site or a specific directory on your site. For example, if you place a .htaccess file in your root directory, it will affect your entire site (www.coolexample.com). If you place it in a /content directory, it will only affect that directory (www.coolexample.com/content).

.htaccess works on all of our Linux hosting accounts.

Some examples of what a .htaccess file can be used for are:

Customize the error pages for your site

Protect your site with a password

Enable server-side includes

Deny access to your site based on IP

Change the default page (index.html) that is loaded for your site

Redirect visitors to another page

Prevent directory listing

Add MIME types

A .htaccess file is a simple text file with the name .htaccess. It is not a file extension like .html or .txt, as the entire file name is .htaccess. For more information on how to set up .htaccess files, visit Apache's website.

Note: Make sure you create a .htaccess file using a plain text editor that doesn't use word wrap. Some editors (such as MS Word or Notepad with word wrap enabled) will insert invisible characters to signify a line break. Your .htaccess file will not work if it has these special characters in it.